HEADSHIP (5)
HEADSHIP (5)
JT What was before us at our last reading relates to Christ as Head of the assembly as seen in David in relation to the service of God, a most important feature of our subject. How headship enters into the service of the saints as together in assembly for the Lord’s supper was considered. We were diverted a little to consider the general principle of the care meeting, a very important subject; but the chapter in Chronicles which we read presents David in a most remarkable role as head, and, we may say, as minister of the sanctuary, for he leads in the service. We are told that he blessed Jehovah in the sight of all the congregation; and then in verse 20 he directs the congregation to bless Jehovah. He says, “Bless now Jehovah your God”, and the congregation did so. So, we have the service proceeding to the end of verse 22.
In this first section David speaks to God, saying, “Thou art exalted as Head above all”; applying the idea of headship to God himself, showing David’s intelligence as to this great thought.
We also saw how as leading up to David’s ministry, Dagon fell before the ark in the house of Dagon, among the Philistines. David slew the Philistine and cut off his head, and took it to Jerusalem as a testimony, to the place where the service of God was to be inaugurated, and to the setting aside of all headships of evil. We noted in Colossians how God set aside what stood in the way of His people. He took certain things out of the way, making a show of principalities and powers. Further on in 1 Samuel we saw that Nabal, the husband of Abigail, was set aside by God. He was in the way; a churlish man, and antagonistic to David — pointing to what exists today as set up by men. All such things are to be discredited in the minds of [p. 292] believers, so as to make way for Christ as our Head; displacing all others. Abigail becomes the wife of David, a type of the assembly as the bride of Christ — her Head.
It is thought we should further consider 1 Chronicles 29 so that we may see David acting as head, linking on with the thought of minister of the sanctuary. Through this we learn what Christ is to us as assembled; both as regards His support and the worship of God.
AEH The thought of minister of the sanctuary links on with headship; but would the thought of minister of the sanctuary be related to feeling?
JT Headship certainly involves feeling; for we can readily see that Abigail would be marked by deep feelings in her union with David, and these would be allied with intelligence. She was a woman “of good understanding and of a beautiful countenance”. She is typical of the saints as under the Lord’s eye. His beauty being reflected in us. The assembly is of Him; brought out of death with Him, formed and beautified by the Spirit to correspond with her Head. And the Lord clothes us with His own blessed thoughts, so that we are suitable to Him. As regards Christ’s ministerial service in the sanctuary, this involves feelings too, towards God and towards the saints.
SWP “All the congregation ... blessed Jehovah ... and bowed down their heads” (1 Chronicles 29: 20), would this suggest making room for the Head?
JT That is the thought. The verse would point to Christ as Head — influencing us towards God in the sanctuary. The fixed relation in which we are to Christ makes room for this.
NB When the Lord comes into the morning meetings, as we speak, is it as Head?
JT Initially it is as Lord. We are in the Lord’s day (Revelation 1: 10), and His supper is rightly celebrated on it. In 1 Corinthians 11 we have the Lord’s supper, so that we are under His authority. We go out of our [p. 293] houses and walk or drive through the streets to meet together, all tending to divert our minds. We need to become familiar with the fact that our walk characteristically is in an opposite direction from that of the world, so that we need to be on our guard and thus in subjection, counting on the Lord’s support and protection. As assembled we have the Lord’s supper in mind, and in view of external circumstances it is most wholesome and necessary that His dominance should be owned and felt. Nevertheless His headship is there and is to be before us. Normally, as the Lord is discerned His headship is owned and realised.
AB Does 1 Corinthians 8: 5 bear on what you are saying: “There are gods many, and lords many”?
JT Yes, as referring to the divine economy — shutting out what is contrary. “To us there is one God, the Father, ... and one Lord, Jesus Christ”.
HPR Is not the same person who is Lord to us also Head to His assembly?
JT Yes. He is positively related to the assembly as Head, but the authority of Christ as Lord, of necessity is also present as we come together in assembly, according to what has been already said. But our subject is headship as it is brought before us in David. The kingly thought is there, of course, but active authority gives place to the greater thought of headship. “And David said to all the congregation, Bless now Jehovah your God”. The same passage also says, “And all the congregation blessed Jehovah the God of their fathers, and bowed down their heads, and did homage to Jehovah and the king”. Christ’s dignity as Lord goes right through with His headship. While we are here in flesh and blood we need the authority of Christ, which involves His lordship. We must keep this in mind.
ANW The scriptures say that as He came into the midst of the disciples He was owned (John 20: 20 - 28).
JT Yes. The difference would be caused by what [p. 294] He has to do when He comes. The state of the meeting must enter into it. We may not get past His lordship if the state of the meeting is low, if the brethren are divided or insubject. What I mean is that we cannot ignore the actual state of the brethren. “Jesus himself stood in the midst of them”: but they were perturbed; they were not ready for Him. So He had to use His authority. He also expressed a desire to eat with them. He would give them ample proof that it was Himself. He says, “I myself”. The condition of the meeting must enter into what He is as actively among us.
LES Luke would take account of the circumstances in which we are found, and grace would be active; but John presents the abstract side of things.
JT Yes. He says, “When therefore it was evening on that day, which was the first day of the week, and the doors shut where the disciples were, through fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and says to them, Peace be to you”, John 20: 19. The doors are closed, shutting out the Jewish side; Christ is all to them. The world was shut out, and Jesus came in. Luke says He Himself stood in their midst; but John says Jesus came and stood in the midst. In John He says, “Peace be to you” twice, the second after the disciples rejoiced as having seen Him. These variations indicate that John gives the abstract side and Luke the practical condition of the disciples as the Lord appeared to them.
SWP Is John’s side typified when David blessed Jehovah in the sight of all the people?
JT Yes; David is not here seen in physical coldness and weakness. It is a wonderful scene, especially as you think of David as in the account in Kings, old and needing warmth. But God came in and strengthened him for the moment, so that in our chapter in Chronicles we see him as head of God’s people. As a corresponding position I mention the morning of resurrection as presented in Luke: the women had come with spices to anoint Him; they were not moving in the light of [p. 295] resurrection, they needed adjustment. Two men in shining garments appeared suddenly to them. The need was urgent and it was met suddenly (Luke 24: 1 - 9). According to 1 Chronicles 29 a change came over David, he is in vigour, and is able to lead the people. This is one of the most remarkable incidents recorded as to headship.
WGT Do we not get in David here the thoughts of both liberty and control? As in great liberty he is maintaining control; there may be control but no liberty, and liberty but no control.
JT Quite so. According to 1 Kings he had become weak and had lost control, and Adonijah had taken the throne. But here he is in full control of the situation, and executes Jehovah’s purpose in Solomon, causing him to be anointed as king and so defeating Satan’s efforts through Adonijah.
EC Does this service of David correspond with Christ’s service in the assembly, “I will declare thy name to my brethren; in the midst of the assembly will I sing thy praises”?
JT Yes. David combines his authority as king with priesthood. So that he is here directing the service of God. Hebrews opens up this great truth. Christ’s deity is involved in His present position. In Hebrews He sets Himself down as Minister of the sanctuary.
LES All this shows that we need to hold our minds as under the control of the Spirit, ready to move under the headship of Christ amidst any circumstances.
JT That is right, ready to move under divine authority. If things are going wrong in the assembly God will come in. If the universe got from under His control what would happen? Thus, it is divine supervision in the assembly that keeps it right. The women were perturbed at the tomb, but suddenly two men stood by, and there was adjustment. God is behind and over everything, so that there is constant adjustment. It may be a word from an obscure brother that [p. 296] sets it right; thus the value of the word, “Take heed therefore how ye hear”.
WGT If a wrong hymn is given out what would you do?
JT I would seek to be governed by the light governing the position. It would be a poor thing to be overwhelmed by such an emergency. Heaven can act suddenly to meet adverse conditions, as we have seen. There is power in the assembly for all needed adjustments.
AEH “And they made Solomon ... king the second time, and anointed him ... to be prince”, 1 Chronicles 29: 22. Is this the idea of God being magnified before the people?
JT Typically, that would mean that their thoughts of Christ were steady. Solomon was made king when very young, and some might be sceptical of that, but the people had not changed their minds, they made him king the second time. This is to indicate that as the state among the saints is right the Lord Jesus is becoming more and more to us. That is as it should be. At the end of each meeting Christ should be enhanced in our souls.
CHH I was wondering if the apostle had that in mind when he wrote, “Of him, and through him, and for him are all things: to him be glory for ever. Amen”, Romans 11: 36.
JT Yes. David applies headship to God Himself; and Paul does also: “the Christ’s head God”, 1 Corinthians 11: 3. Deity involves headship. Christ is God, and so He had part in divine headship; but as become Man He is under God’s headship, but nevertheless He is “head of every man”, and God has given Him to be Head over all things to the assembly, as we have seen. As already said, David typifies Christ in this chapter as leading in the service of God. He says, “Thine, Jehovah, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the splendour, and the majesty; for all that is in the heavens [p. 297] and on the earth is thine: thine, Jehovah, is the kingdom, and thou art exalted as Head above all; and riches and glory are of thee, and thou rulest over everything; and in thy hand is power and might; and in thy hand it is to make all great and strong”, 1 Chronicles 29: 11, 12. God is operative; there is “one God and Father of all, who is over all, and through all, and in us all”. He is exalted in our minds and hearts through our appreciation of Him known in the universal operations of His love.
LES Would our intelligence be the measure of our apprehension of God as set forth in the way of which you have been speaking?
JT Yes. The apostle says: “I, the prisoner in the Lord, exhort you therefore to walk worthy of the calling wherewith ye have been called, with all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love; using diligence to keep the unity of the Spirit in the uniting bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, as ye have been also called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all, and through all, and in us all. But to each one of us has been given grace according to the measure of the gift of the Christ”. Ephesians 4: 1 - 7. That is how the divine economy is apprehended.
SWP Is that why David says, “The God of our father Israel” (verse 10)?
JT Yes; it alludes to what He was to Israel. It is God known in His operations. If a man is a believer he will be able to give some account of God in this sense. He must be above all.
JH Would Deuteronomy 26: 5 fit in here? “A perishing Aramaean was my father”.
JT Quite so. The speaker alludes to Jacob as in Canaan in need and outward smallness; and later in suffering in Egypt. But he was the object of Jehovah’s care and delivering power. So David here refers to [p. 298] Jacob, but not in the sense of smallness, but to Israel, denoting His spiritual quality and greatness. His name had been changed, and in the changing he becomes a prince. Israel is viewed in this tribute of David’s according to what God made him. Israel is a prince.
AB Regarding the operations of God, Isaiah says, “Never have men heard, nor perceived by the ear, nor hath eye seen a God beside thee, who acteth for him that waiteth for him”, Isaiah 64: 4.
JT Just so. That is quoted in 1 Corinthians as applying to ourselves — the things God has prepared for them that love Him. The idea of operation is there also. In verse 20 David is seen functioning as head, and as minister of the sanctuary; and we see a great expansion in the service. Solomon is made king the second time and anointed to Jehovah to be prince, and Zadok to be priest. We are told what the people did as David directed them. It is what the saints are able to do as guided by the minister of the sanctuary. The Lord helps us, and as He leads us the service goes on. This implies that the assembly has priestly intelligence as to what should be done. The service here expands, the sacrifices being in great volume. Headship is in evidence throughout. Then we have the majesty and power of the true Solomon foreshadowed — which words seem to fail to express. The account is most affecting.
WGT Does not what we get in verses 17 and 18 appeal to us as the moral element in the service?
JT Yes; they indicate how the Lord is concerned about the saints as the instruments of service. It is all very beautiful, showing the care of the Head for the body at the present moment. That is how we are furnished; it is indeed a shadow of the headship of Christ, how He is concerned as to the state of our souls.